Reviewing 2024 paving season in El Paso County
EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) - Officials said that they performed some type of resurfacing on 212 roads this year, covering approximately 10% of its overall network which is evenly divided between paved and unpaved roads.
Jack Ladley, the county's deputy public works director, said that crews repaved 39 roads with asphalt; the longest stretch was three miles of Blaney Road East, between Falcon Highway and Blaney Road South.
KRDO 13's The Road Warrior reported on the road's crumbling condition when the county announced its paving list in February. It looks significantly better now.
In that report, The Road Warrior also detailed how the county used new technology this year -- 3D imaging-- to better assess road conditions and prioritize which roads need improvement.
Ladley said that the county focuses most of its resources on preservation, improving roads that are above the "poor" category to extend the time before they need a full repave or rebuild.
"If we can be funded and staffed to be able to do that, it's going to be a success story," he said. "We're going to have a good, good roadway network. Doesn't mean that we don't have roads that need attention, or roads that are in less-than-desirable condition. So, what it does mean is that overall, our network is in better and better shape, and we can start focusing on those roadways that are in bad shape."
With the emphasis on preservation, Ladley said that crews can keep paved roads at an average condition index of between 69 and 70, with a goal of raising that index by one percent annually.
"And as a matter of fact, one of the things I'm very proud of is that we won a best in class awards in the Colorado Asphalt Paving Association for our preservation program, which I think is remarkable," he revealed. "And I think it speaks to the fact that we are making good decisions for our citizens, in terms of how we are using the resources that are available to us."
The majority of paved roads on this year's list received other treatments such as cape seal, slurry seal, crack seal or chip seal. They're designed to preserve a road's condition or provide smoother driving.
The Road Warrior showed some roads in Security-Widefield being slurry-sealed this summer; several residents wondered why a few streets in that community that looked worse were not treated.
The county explained that those streets needed a full rebuild; such repairs are more expensive and are done gradually as funding allows.
Road and bridge funding comes from the county budget, the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority and -- occasionally -- the federal government.
An example of federal funding starts next year, when the county will use $10 million in pandemic recovery money on a two-year project to improve streets and drainage in the Colorado Centre community, southeast of the Colorado Springs Airport.
